1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to press-contacting terminals and more particularly to press-contacting terminals having an appropriate contact area so as to connect reliably a strand cable thereto, wherein an even number of twisted wires are aligned in the first external layer of the cable having totally an odd number of wires.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional press-contacting terminals for strand cables are illustrated in FIGS. 17 and 18. A press-contacting terminal 27 (or 28) has each pair of fore and aft press-contacting pieces 3,4 (or 29, 30) formed by raising up tab portions struck from a bottom wall of the terminal as shown in FIG. 17 or by inwardly bending tab portions struck from side walls of the terminal as shown in FIG. 18. A terminal contacting member 31( or 33) for a corresponding other terminal is formed forward to the fore press-contacting pieces 3 (or 29) and an insulation covered cable clamping portion 32(or 34) is formed in the back of the aft press-contacting pieces 4 (or 30). The interval L of the fore and aft press-contacting pieces 3,4 (or 29, 30) is decided in consideration of the over all length of the terminal 27(or 28) or a space laying between the terminal contacting member 31(or 33) and the insulation-covered cable clamping portion 32(or 34).
The strand cable 2 is pressed downward into a slot 35(or 36) formed between the right and left press-contacting pieces 3,3 or 4,4 (or 29,29 or 30,30). In FIG. 19, there is illustrated an example of wire press-contacting patterns in respect of a press-contacting terminal 27.
The each pair of aft press-contacting pieces 3,4 (or 29, 30) forms an upwardly open notch for receiving the insulation-covered strand cable, the notch converging downwardly and having thin edges to afford a cutting section for shearing through the cable insulation.
Further, FIGS. 20A to 20C show respectively strand cables 2,6,37 to make electric connection with terminals by press-contacting. In regard to the cables such as the type number CAVS0.5SQ (seven wires) or AVSS2SQ (thirty seven wires), around a core wire 1.sub.0, 5.sub.0, 38.sub.0), an even number of wires 1,5, 38 are circularly aligned in one or a plurality of layers. The strand cables 2, 6, 37 have, in each of the first external layers, six, twelve, eighteen wires respectively.